Maelstrom 16 Viper
by illmatar
Summary: Vector Sigma has a new job, Rodimus has some new plans, and KC has a new outfit...and a lot of nasty bad stuff happens. M for violence and mature themes. Read prior chapters first! Comments, crits, and flames wanted! Bring em on!
1. Chapter 1

Maelstrom Chapter 29  
Viper Part A 

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there...and believe me I am a better artist than writer.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. **This particular chapter is also based on the work of my ex-roomie. KC was her character for the most part.** Critiques adored!  
**

Maelstrom Chapter 29 Viper

Viper - Part A

"Females," Rodimus said in a frigid voice.

He and Optimus were standing alone in the chamber at the heart of Cybertron. Optimus stood with his shoulders straight, as if at attention. Rodimus' empty hands clutched and released invisible weapons as he spoke.

"Unadvisable," Vector Sigma responded. Light from its core pulsed irregularly, reflecting off the torsos and faces of the Primes that faced it.  
"Oh yeah? Well so is keeping around a lying piece of shit but you don't see me doing anything about it...yet," Rodimus said neutrally. Optimus just shook his head at the threat but knew better than to say anything. It was let Rodimus curse and demean their creator or watch him explode and kill it....leaving them to slowly go extinct.

Vector Sigma fell silent for a moment. Its sallow light dimmed. Then, "What personality characteristics?"

"What?!" Rodimus asked. He scowled and fought not to call his rifle from sub-space....of course he should have expected this. Vector Sigma, having played god so long, now expected the Primes to do the same now that the Autobots were in control.

Optimus came to his rescue and answered before Rodimus went ahead and did something permanently damaging to the Super Computer - although Rodimus could tell from Op's constrained tones the Senior Prime was every bit as offended as his partner. "We want their personalities to be free, Vector Sigma. We want their characteristics programing chosen at random that they might chose their own destinies as much as possible."

This seemed to shock Vector Sigma if the wild flaring of its radiating light was anything to judge by.

"At RANDOM? How do you intend to control this new generation?"

"We don't you stupid piece of cyber-trash! We don't get a kick out of manipulating everything around us! Don't you get it? These are living beings! They have a right to their own choices!" Rodimus' optics flared almost as bright as Sigma's erratic pulsing.

"I will focus on random Autobot characteristics...."

"NO! You will not focus on Autobot characteristics! You will not focus on any characteristics! RANDOM! Do You Get It Yet? RANDOM! Totally, utterly, completely, entirely random! You do know what random means don't you all-knowing, all-powerful lying piece of shit?!"

"Including Decepticon characteristics?"

"Including ALL characteristics! Ya know Op, for the supposed most powerful computer in existence this thing is pretty slow on the uptake!" Rodimus sneered to his partner.

Optimus could only sigh and nod.

"But....the newly-activated may turn on you if I include programing from the warrior line...." Vector Sigma protested.

"I suspect some of them will," Optimus said with a touch of sadness. He was joyful at having reached this phase of their plans. The birth of a new generation was the first, best reason to hope he'd had in a long time...and what a generation it would be. The very first not activated purely to act as a living shield for Vector Sigma. The very first to be made free. Even though the first body shells had yet to be constructed Optimus already felt a powerful affection for new lives not yet begun. They were Cybertron's future, its hope, its legacy. Even if he and Rodimus ultimately failed in bringing down their enemies, they were planning for the survival of this new generation. If Cybertron fell, these youngsters might survive. With this freedom came the risk though that some of these new lives would take paths Optimus felt were wrong. The foresight saddened him a bit, but he supposed it was inevitable He supposed it was the same hope and dread human parents must experience when anticipating the birth of their children.

"You will blame me if they desert you," Vector Sigma said fearfully...and no wonder. It knew that most of the council - Rodimus in particular - were watching its every move for the slightest treason. It had no illusions that the death threats were very real. It had probed Jazz, and Magnus well on their initial trip to enslave it and knew they had deviated from its original programming. Probing Rodimus had proven terrifying and futile. Jazz and even Magnus had been affected by years off of Cybertron away from Vector Sigma's influence. Contact with alien species - especially humans - had written new pathways into their minds. It had been a horrible shock to touch their minds and see how far they had diverted from its original plans for them.

Jazz had been groomed to be Optimus' most creative officer and confidant, but only in realms Vector Sigma could predict. It had all been a matter of personality with Jazz though. Magnus had to have more direct "guidance." The "Disaster" which had so traumatized the City Commander and shaped his soul had been carefully orchestrated. The spur of the moment decision to play hooky had been planted in Magnus' subconscious the previous recharge period, as had the idea to attack that particular division been planted in the Decepticon Commander. The result - a guilt-stricken Autobot who then forged himself into one of the few true warriors the Autobots had at that time. A crucial counterweight to the Decepticons' more violent natures.

All in the name of keeping the sides balanced and in control.

The Primes confronting Vector Sigma still did not know it could invade and manipulate their minds directly. They thought all of its manipulation of the war had been done at the programming stage, but Vector Sigma had many means of controlling its pawns...carefully crafted personalities were just the first step.

More females stood the best chance of shattering its domination of all Transformers past all hope of recovery. Nothing the Primes could have demanded frightened Sigma more.

Sigma fumed at chaos. Chance factors beyond its power to influence had brought it to this crossroads. The discovery of Earth had been the first step in cracking that its supremacy....especially with young ones like Hot Rod escaping Vector Sigma's influence early.

Unicron hadn't helped either.

The partnership of the Primes had been a completely unacceptable shock. Sharing command? Unfettered brainstorming? Vector Sigma had been repeatedly frustrated as it tried to influence one or the other...even both. Even if it managed to get a suggestion planted the process by which they criticized their plans usually destroyed it...or at least warped it beyond Vector Sigma's ability to use.

The Super Computer had been getting ready to produce a new generation of Decepticons to counter-act the partnership when Rodimus was taken. Vector Sigma had delayed its plans because Optimus seemed disproportionally weakened by that loss and Vector Sigma predicted the Decepticons would eventually take advantage of that.

Rodimus had returned though...broken and rebuilt into something Vector Sigma couldn't fathom. Even now, as the young Prime stood seething in front of it, Vector Sigma tried to analyze Rodimus, tried to find some means of leashing him. It couldn't. Maybe if it had just been the Jabez torture that changed Rodimus....but it wasn't. It was also the killing he did, the skills he'd learned, humanity, fatherhood, love, a mental link and a whole lifetime's worth of second-hand memories. Not to mention the fact that the link with Lancer had closed Vector Sigma's back-door access to Rodimus' mind. Her paranoia over her possession was now Rodimus' as well. His channels were well guarded (and now Magnus was the same thanks to Unicron's assault.)

All that initial probe had taught Vector Sigma was that it had no hope of influencing or even fathoming these Transformers again.

And now the Primes wanted it to produce females...females with minds of their own. Females free to chose their allegiance. Females...who might just have the power to cut Sigma's last strand of influence.

It made no sense to Vector Sigma. It couldn't understand how these Autobots could bear the thought that these new ones might not side with them. How it hated that these Autobots weren't under sway right now! It wanted them to serve its interests again! Didn't they want the same thing for themselves? Apparently not. They weren't even keeping the reins of power strictly in their own hands anymore either...now the members of the council had an unprecedented amount of impact on everything the Primes did...and it wasn't just Autobots! They were heeding humans! Humans! Creatures Vector Sigma couldn't fathom.

Vector Sigma gave up trying to understand, and assented to their demands - starting with Optimus' insistence that the branding devices be disabled. The new Cybertronians would chose their insignia...if they wanted one at all.

It ran a final status check. All the machines had been updated. Energon flowed like never before. Raw materials from half a dozen trade alliances poured into the waiting vats.....and for the first time since the Quintisson occupation, Cybertron's great factories sprang into full operation.

And when hours later the first new arrival opened her eyes, straightened a slim body of black and deep purple, and defiantly pronounced herself Cobalt, the Primes, the full council, and an entourage of Autobots were waiting to greet her and accept her. Whoever she was.

X

X

X

After the initial ceremony, there was a brief period of schooling with Chromia and Kup acting as teachers to help the first four new arrivals get their bearings, learn how to find their way around, the opportunities available to them, and how to get help if they needed it.

It was new ground for the instructors - in all of Cybertron's' history new Transformers were activated with a firm idea of their place in life. Their desires and personality went hand in hand with their physical design. While the new girls were all well armed, intelligent, and independent none of their designs spoke of an obvious career. These young ladies, Cobalt, Onyx, Opal, and Obsidian, had sleek, sturdy bodies which transformed into a variety of vehicle and jet modes.

Cobalt and Obsidian were both fliers. Cobalt's transform reminded Chromia uncomfortably of Starscream, while Obsidian seemed more like a long-range bomber. She was the tallest of the four and was solid black from head to toe with no accenting of any kind. Only her merry blue optics stood out. Onyx was also black, but she had chrome trim to break up her design. Somehow that only made the black seem blacker. Opal had the exact same body shell - in reverse, color and all. Even their transformations were identical and they became six wheeled Cybertronian trucks when in alternate mode.  
It would be up to them to decide what they wanted to do with themselves and up to their teachers to present as many options as possible.

It was hard, time-consuming work to instruct them. They often brought up questions their teachers had no idea how to answer, Like why the war had gone on so long, and what would happen if the Decepticons ever tried to make peace. Chromia found herself thriving on it though. Forced to consider her own world as though she were a stranger she discovered much she had overlooked and much she had forgotten. It was harder for Kup, who seemed dispirited to her, and she knew he had the most trouble discussing the Decepticons honestly without letting long years of hatred shine through.

Chromia couldn't imagine why Op and Rodi had put Kup on this assignment. After their first day with the "gems" Kup had gone home with his shoulder struts bowed. Shortly after Kup went home, Rodimus had appeared from somewhere and asked Chromia about the day. At first, Chromia just assumed he was sensibly looking after their new additions, until she realized from Rodimus' carefully phrased questions that he was also asking about Kup. Apparently the Primes knew the old robot was depressed. Rodimus was worried about Kup but he was trying to pretend he wasn't. Maybe they felt giving the veteran some young ones to instruct would give him a new sense of purpose.

Chromia decided that made Kup part of her responsibility too, and set out to make him feel valued. Some times it seemed to work. He would come alive telling some part of their history or another and enrapture his listeners, including her. Other times, especially when one of their students would ask a particularly unexpected question it would seem to really hurt the old bot.

Asked to describe what made a Prime and how both leaders had gotten their starts, Kup flat out refused to answer and stormed out of the room.

When Chromia told Rodimus that he said he was sure Kup would get used to it, but Chromia knew somehow that Rodimus didn't believe his own words.

Why that realization made her want to comfort Rodimus was a mystery to her. There were stories that Kup and Rodi had once been close but this was the first evidence Chromia had seen of anything more than a strictly professional relationship. She supposed that should have told her something since Rodimus was personable with everyone, even complete strangers. Kup was a rather glaring exception.

Chromia wondered what fell between them to cause this deep rift....but she felt it wasn't her place to intervene. Instead she spent her energies intervening between her students and the rest of Cybertron's population.

The second day out on their own both Cobalt and Obsidian got into trouble asking too many questions about the Decepticons. The Aerialbots in particular got upset by this for some reason and Air Raid got a bit forceful in his vehement defamation of their enemies. He attempted to grab Obsidian to "shake some sense into her" and got a well-aimed punch right in the face for his trouble. She was strong, and taller than he was by about a head, so the punch did a fair bit of damage. This led to a minor scuffle which landed Air Raid, Slingshot, Cobalt, and Obsidian in First Aid's care. Their feelings were more scraped up than their paint jobs thanks to Silverbolt's swift intervention but from the look on Silverbolt's face Chromia had a feeling the Aerialbots involved would have been glad for a lengthy stay in Med-Lab.

Onyx and Opal appeared in Med-Lab when they heard their sisters were there. They provided the one bright spot in Chromia's day by becoming immediately fascinated by First Aid and everything he was doing. They unnerved the medic by staring at him silently while he worked on Air Raid's dented face-plate and wing assembly. They unnerved him more by then turning to Cobalt and performing similar repairs on her, practically flawlessly.

It was a minor procedure, but they took turns with the equipment while First Aid went from protesting to encouraging them in about 2 minutes even. He was happily showing them around Med-Lab before poor Slingshot was even fully repaired yet. First Aid let them work on the petrified Aerialbot and coached them carefully through each step...noting how accurate and gentle their hands were. Slingshot, whose fears proved groundless, took a dim view of being used as a guinea pig, but he had nothing to complain about when they were through. Cobalt saw fit to tease him about his "cowardice" and nearly started the whole fight again.

Skydive thought the whole thing was hysterical and pronounced Slingshot smitten. Cobalt AND Slingshot hit him for that so Opal had another dent to practice on. For once First Aid didn't complain about the fighting. He wasted no time kicking everyone but the "twins" out after that so he could revel in the very thought of having some help. Chromia was stunned at how instantaneously he accepted her charges and how they too just decided they wanted to learn from him. At least they all seemed happy. She was just relieved to have two less to worry about.

She doubted Cobalt and Obsidian would find niches so easily. Cobalt was still fuming over Air Raid's comment that "It looks like a Con, acts like a Con, probably is a stupid Con," while Obsidian wanted to know why he made it sound like an insult even if it were true. Then she wondered what made them look like Decepticons and when Chromia said Decepticons were more likely to have airborne modes, Obsidian very logically pointed out that the Aerialbots were jets too. Chromia snickered and informed her young friend that logic of that sort was likely to be lost on Air Raid since his ego was involved. She spent the rest of the day with them and gave them a lot of pointers on the management of the male ego so that they wouldn't be so prone to have such difficulties again...unless they wanted them.

If nothing else, Chromia mused, these new ladies would certainly make their presence known.

X

X

X

Across Iacon, Jazz, in human form, smiled as he watched KC's fingers dance across the keyboard. He wished she'd put them to better use. Since the lady discovered of her metal shaping abilities she's been even harder to spring, he thought to himself. Now she's got me cooped up in here too. Not my kinda party at all...except she's here. Never thought I'd be late on the scene to watch a mad scientist work too hard.

The specialist sighed and rested his chin on his hand. He was sitting cross-legged on a counter and watching KC work over her shoulder. He respected her for the place she had made for herself with the Autobots and within the Council, but her sporadic adventures with him had gone from rare to nearly non-existent. Some part of him wondered if that was entirely due to her increased responsibilities and her grueling training with Lancer. On top of being Perceptor's frantic aide, she was now expected to master her powers and defend herself in ways that satisfied her teacher. Given how Lancer still took Rodimus and Elita to task over their dead on scary fighting skills, Jazz didn't see any light at the end of that tunnel.

Still, in spite of KC's horrific schedule, Jazz wondered. His own wasn't much lighter, and he still found time to try out this fascinating new form at various venues. KC hadn't joined him in close to six months. Dancing by himself was never a problem, and it was infrequent in any case. He would take the floor and it was nearly never long before some lady or another came to dance with him. They weren't always shy about where they put their hands either.

These encounters always left Jazz seething with needs an Autobot usually felt only dimly, but he had set himself a goal and the women (and occasional man) who gyrated with him on the dance floor went home alone. He took comfort in the fact he was at least desirable to them, since he had no human frame of reference on that.

He supposed he was good looking. He heard it often enough when he was out. Raven black hair, mahogany skin, and an Autobot's electric blue eyes. The eyes were the only trait he shared with either of his morphing Autobot brothers. Magnus had eyes exactly the same shade, although the similarities ended there. The City Commander loomed at almost seven feet and was built like a walking wall. Jazz was 5' 10" and slender.

Lancer called him a greyhound.

Rodimus called him a damned pain in the ass for the facile way he took to this new substance. What had taken Magnus days to adjust to and months to really master, Jazz had fallen into as if human born. He "graduated" to go out on his own in less than a week, and that was with Rodimus being paranoid and over-protective.

Jazz's one human hang-up was the opposite of his traumatized commander. Where Rodimus felt no desire for food, even when he should have been famished, Jazz had a tendency to enjoy his meals too much. He had made himself ill from over-eating on a few memorable occasions. He never gained an ounce, being too energetic, but he had to make sure he didn't lose himself in what he was tasting to the point he ignored the pain of an over-stretched stomach.

That was his problem.  
Engrossment.  
Enchantment.  
It was all just so cool.  
Certainly he turned enough heads, except, perhaps, the one he wanted to turn.

KC remained stubbornly hard to get, and after so long he was starting to get suspicious that she was deliberately avoiding going out with him. He thought back on their first (and last) date as a human pair. She had laughed all night, and seemed to truly be enjoying herself, and he was fairly certain not all of the rosy cast to her face was from exertion. There had been one, incredible moment when she had thrown her arms around him and if it had been a movie, she would have kissed him long and hard right then. He had been utterly sure she was going to lead him home that night.

This wasn't a movie. She hadn't kissed him, and the experience of human interfacing remained on his list of things to try.

Frustrated, Jazz hopped to his feet to wander around and poke into this and that. At least this wasn't Perceptor's lab. Jazz was sure similar nights poking around left him with a better idea of where Perceptor put things than Perceptor had. This was KC's place, so at least he was looking at different junk in different drawers.

.....

Exactly how had he been reduced to this much fun and excitement anyway?

Rodi had allotted KC some personal workspace for testing her powers and her own experiments away from Perceptor's clutches. Actually it ended up being quite a set-up, she had seen to that, sculpting most of the equipment herself right out of the floor. Her brilliant mind and deep understanding of engineering allowed her to make working devices almost instantly.

Lancer said most class 3 shapers like KC could only make the appearance of objects... sculptures basically. KC's knowledge made her far more potent with the same amount of power, because she understood what she was building.

Tonight's excuse for no fun at all was her latest creation which was to be tested later that week, and she hadn't even fully decided on the design specs. Matter-of-fact, there was no sign of this creation to be seen, the lab was virtually empty with the exception of an excessively large bubble of metal in the middle of the room. Jazz didn't know what to make of it but he knew that was intentional on KC's part. He wasn't supposed to see this creation before it made its debuts...it was all part of its first test that he not know it when he saw it.

Bored, Jazz glanced over to where KC sat grinning like a fool at whatever she had just programmed. That little gleam in her eye made him worry all the more. She's got it in for someone.... Slipping this thing in with the next batch of new ladies is a good way to test its programing, but I've got surges wondering it I'm the first mark.

Bored...bored...bored....time to start making some trouble. "Casey, oh Casey!" Jazz sang. "CASEY!"

"Jazz, my name is K C, is it really that difficult?" she grumbled at him for about the millionth time. "What time is it anyway?"

"Try 22:15 hours."

"Oh. OH! Damn! I have to go. Shit!" KC cried. "I was supposed to meet the Dinobots at 2200 hours. Shit, I'm late! Rodi's gonna kill me...unless Lancer gets me first! My first solo mission and I almost forgot! Can you give me a lift?" She smiled at him sweetly, but taking a second look she realized he wouldn't be able to - he was human and didn't have the ability to change spontaneously from human to Autobot as Rodi did so often. "Oh...geez. I guess I'm getting used to you as a mere mortal."

His heart soared with that smile even though he cursed her priorities and he replied charmingly, "Don't worry your head Little Lady, I'll have you there here in no time and in style! The boss won't ever know you were running behind!" The young mutant turned to see him morphing from human to Autobot as he spun around then finished with a flourished dance step that said Ta-Da!

KC's jaw fell.

Jazz grinned and waved his hand in front of her as if she was truly stunned. "That smoked your tires!" he smirked. "Let's cruise Fair Maiden," he crowed, then did his final transformation to vehicle mode, also with his patented pizzazz. The performance however, wasn't over until he did donuts around her and threw the Porsche driver's side door open - beckoning for her to hop in. Still amazed, she stepped into the vehicle. Jazz closed his door for her and sped off to the Dinobots' Lair.

She didn't said a word. The silence became too much for the Specialist to take and he put on some tunes and poured on the gas.

That snapped the scientist out of her shock. "You've been holding out on me!" KC yelled, annoyed, at the stereo set-up in Jazz's interior. She always spoke to the radio in his vehicle mode, because that was where his voice seemed to be emanating from.

"I've been waiting for the right moment to dazzle you." Jazz's voice insisted and still, somehow, she knew he was smiling, proud of his accomplishment.

It would have to do with timing, she thought to herself. "Jazz you are certifiably nuts."

"Only over you darlin'," his voice chimed.

KC sighed to herself, letting him get away with that, This time.

A few minutes drive was all it took to get to the Dinobots' quarters..or what passed for them. It was really a large courtyard with equally large storage depots on every side where the Dinobots could curl up and recharge at will. The Dinos called it "The Lair" because the late Ratchet had told them lairs were homes for "dangerous predators" after they had asked why all the Autobots called their place that. The Dinobots liked that answer.

Everyone else called it "The Lair" because it was a jumbled heap of crumpled wreckage.

All attempts to clean up the place were swiftly destroyed by the Dinobots' general clumsiness and Swoop's peculiar collections of shiny junk which he couldn't resist bringing home. One time during his first term Rodimus had mistakenly ordered the whole area cleared out and given to Wreck-gar. This felony had resulted in a severe temper tantrum from the normally docile Swoop. The tantrum hadn't budged Rodimus, but the weeks of depression which had followed HAD gotten him to reluctantly retrieve every one of Swoop's "treasures" from the Junkions. It was expensive, but Rodimus couldn't stand to see the poor Dinobot moping around and had paid from his personal accounts. Fortunately Wreck-gar had a photographic memory for trash and was able to find each and every priceless item amongst the towering heaps of refuse on Junkion.

That was the last time anyone dared touch "The Lair", although Rodimus did sometimes send the Dinos away for a few hours so Hot Spot, Inferno, and Red Alert could sneak in there and spray the whole mess with fire-retardant.

KC jumped out, turned to Jazz to thank him, and watched him transform.

"I think I'll stay and help - you forgot your equipment." Jazz added.

"Ahhh. that's what you think!" KC waved and wiggled her fingers at him, implying that she'd actually use her metal shaping powers to do the work.

Jazz shook his head and gave her a crooked smile - a month ago she wouldn't have done that. He was impressed. He never thought he'd see the day she'd begin to get over the fear of using her powers. Now she knew that she was the one in control. He really wanted to hug her and swing her around but he couldn't switch to human form since Grimlock was charging KC like the oversized puppy he was. Jazz chuckled.

Continued in Part B.


	2. Chapter 2

Maelstrom Chapter 29  
Viper Part B 

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there...and believe me I am a better artist than writer.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. **This particular chapter is also based on the work of my ex-roomie. KC was her character for the most part.** Critiques adored!  
**

Viper - PART B

Continued from Part A!

KC and Grimmy quickly got into a heated discussion of what game they were going to play tonight. Grimlock stuck is face in KC's and nudged her with his nose. "ME GRIMLOCK WANT TO PLAY BALL," the Dinobot insisted.

The young metal shaper patted him on the snout, trying to placate him, "Grimmy, I thought a game of tag would be fun." Fun had nothing to do with it. Destruction did. With these guys, the ball went where it wanted... with tag, they'd follow her where she wanted.

"Me Swoop good at tag," the pterodactyl said flying in circles overhead.

The rest of the Dino's converged on KC with the exception of Slag, which wasn't unusual. She almost always had to prod him to participate. She strongly suspected he did it just to get the extra attention it took to convince him. She got Grimlock to agree to tag without too much trouble and then hunted Slag down and baited him out with energon goodies. She sighed with relief that for once he was being pretty good about it and actually didn't balk too much about being goaded out of his favorite haunt. She did giggle at him for his fussiness. "C'mon Mr. Grumpus," she teased. The large triceratops snorted at her but followed, even if it was a bit testily.

"ME NOT MR. GRUMPUS! ME SLAG!" he demanded, snorting so hard it created wind enough to blow her hair away from her face.

"Ok. Okay, Slag. C'mon," she smiled apologetically. "Now let's play."

She came back to the rest of the Dinos and Jazz, who was trying to keep the excitable, hyperactive group under control. He had lost ground quickly and was gaining new respect for what KC did with them. She often did this voluntarily in addition to her regular assignments on her own time - though there was precious little of that. Very few Autobots had the patience to just play with the Dinobots and while they were otherwise self-sufficient the play made them happier...something very few stopped to consider.

Jazz knew there was some prejudice involved with this isolation as well. The Dinobots had been Ratchet and Wheeljack's creations and many Autobots took their relatively simple minds as a sign that robots not programed by Vector Sigma were never really meant to be. He had heard (more than once) Autobots "explaining" to their Paradronian cousins that the Dinobots were tolerated because they were useful in combat and because Optimus was simply too kind-hearted to have them killed.

That they were real, if simple people, didn't seem to be enough of an argument for their continued survival and freedom in certain circles. After hearing this explanation, some of them, including that moronic Neon, concluded that the Dinobots were kept around strictly as cannon fodder waiting for the right cannon.

Jazz sometimes considered inviting the Dinobots over to Neon's to play with her pretty, ever-so fragile crystalline sculptures. Heck, Swoop was probably the only creature on the planet likely to appreciate them as much as she did.

Even the Autobots who had served with the Dinobots and loved them seldom considered that they might need more than ample energon and a place to stay. Perhaps there was too much respect in those cases. After fighting alongside the powerful Dinobots most of the warriors considered them well able to take care of themselves and left them to their own devices. Usually, that was enough really. Usually...but not always.

Of course the ones who had known them, and probably loved and understood them best were their creators...and both Ratchet and Wheeljack were dead.

And of that very slim minority of people remaining who both loved and understood the needs of this unique group...? Most were on the Council...and they were far too busy to do much but regret they couldn't do more.

Enter KC - self-proclaimed play-thing simply because she saw the need without being told and set out to fulfil it without being asked.

As an experienced Dinobot toy, KC quickly regained command of this ridiculous bunch out of practice borne of pure survival necessity. She was surely a lot safer playing with enormous clumsy robots now that her powers were up and running, but she hadn't had any powers when she first took on the Dinobots in play. Keeping a tight rein on them was a literal matter of life and death to her then.

"Slag! Get off of Sludge's tail! Grimlock quit jumping - you're too big to jump up and down no matter how excited you are! SWOOP! Quit...err...Quit swooping and follow us! Jazz will you please lead the way to section 04-215T, and step on it?" she ordered as she entered her exo-suit.

"Anything you say Pretty Lady!" he saluted facetiously.

KC frowned at him. He made her crazy most of the time these days... and he would have to be so charming about it.

They arrived at the indicated area just past Iacon's boarders with very little trouble...not surprisingly, unless you counted the Dinobots scuffling the whole way. Rodimus had "requested" the fun and games take place there. KC's games with the Dinos were a well-known scheduled catastrophe, and it hardly mattered if they played on an abandoned site anyway did it? No one would object.

Jazz remembered when Decepticon territory had extended right to the city walls. Now the whole world was under Autobot control...or at least that was what most people thought. The more virulent enemies that lurked here now also brushed elbows with Autobot security. They just didn't like calling attention to themselves and Jazz shuddered at Rodimus' deviousness. The Autobot commander already had statements about the "accident" prepared as well as plans for what new construction would go on the site.

The site wasn't abandoned. It was a Conversion factory Marissa had unearthed and Rodimus wanted it shut down - tonight. Of course the building was supposed to be abandoned and if the Dinobots just happened to demolish it playing no one would dare risk exposure by complaining. They would cut their losses and leave....hopefully right into the clutches of the Maelstrom which was waiting in orbit fully cloaked. The crew would remove whatever the slavers decided to salvage and "question" them about their business partners and their competition.

Jazz went ahead of the slower Dinos to scout. Jazz's mission had been to make sure all was clear to get the game on. He radioed back the information KC needed and then rejoined them. Jazz was quickly voted referee and "dino-sitter", while KC tested her powers and searched the warehouse for weak spots. It was her assignment to make those spots even weaker and make it look as though the building's collapse was the result of her charges' lumbering footsteps. The metal-shaper was also setting sensitive explosives into those vulnerable areas as well by "carrying" them from her lab through the metal of Cybertron's thick shell. This was hard for her - it tested her concentration to move them smoothly and swiftly while she continued to participate in the game. They all laughed and argued and made a nuisance of themselves. No one within miles could have failed to notice them or what they were doing. There were even a few vaguely interested on-lookers stopping to watch here and there from a safe distance.

Jazz had to admit...it was a well staged charade, although he still wondered about his leader's facile warping of an innocent play session into an act of war.

The Dinobots made extraordinary amounts of noise. The game now included full body tackling, barreling one another into the warehouse walls, and the occasional body-slam. The results felt like a series of minor earth-quakes. Grimlock roared at Slag who had charged him like an enraged bull to "tag" him - bashing the big T-Rex into the wall and shaking it to its foundation.

"NOT FAIR! ME GRIMLOCK KING! ME SAY SLAG STILL IT!"

Slag snorted, steam rose from his face, "Me say Grimlock it. Square and Fair." The now enraged T-Rex turned swiftly sweeping the long horned Dinobot into the warehouse with his powerful tail.

"NOW SLAG IT!" Grimlock stated matter-of-factly, laughing and roaring simultaneously.

While the triceratops pulled himself out of the rubble, Snarl, Swoop, and Sludge converged on the one-sided game.

"Me Swoop want to PLAY!" he whined.

"Me want play!" Sludge shouted.

"Me too," Snarl said. He just stood there though, while Slag charged Sludge and knocked the larger Dino over at his feet.

"Cut it out you guys. You ARE playing!" Jazz cried. Naturally this simple logic was lost on the Dinos. Jazz looked to KC for help and saw her face under considerable strain. She was obviously struggling to hold her concentration and he wouldn't get through to her now. That worried him. He knew this mission entailed more shaping than she'd ever attempted before but it wasn't supposed to be that difficult. Rodi and Lancer wanted to test her powers but not at the risk of hurting her or jeopardizing the mission. It would be dangerous to distract her though, so he did his best to get the Dinobots back on task, so to speak.

KC realized the minute she "touched" the Slaver's facility that they had made a mistake. The Slavers had returned - nearly two hours early. She was assigned to render the place useless to them while they were away to avoid risk of exposure. After all, it was only her first mission and they were trying to break her in slowly.

No such luck.

She scanned the Slaver's computer banks and their amount of "live cargo" had nearly doubled. They had a new shipment - also too soon. Delving farther into the base revealed most of the captives were still alive in stasis tubes. A few were being converted as she "watched". Her mind was reeling - she'd never faced Slavers before, not directly anyway. KC shut down their power - making it seem like a fuse had blown. Next was their communications. Then she created a connection between the Slaver's systems and her own to retrieve and copy all their records to the systems in her exo-suit. Scrambling their data beyond all retrieval just in case anyone escaped was simple enough.  
Always prepare for the worst of the unexpected, she thought to herself, but it was Lancer's "teacher" voice K.C. heard in her memory. Finally, the young mutant sealed off all access routes in and out of the sector including air ducts and service tunnels. Even with them trapped, she knew she'd need help with this.

"JAZZ, they're HERE! Get the Dinobots out! I radioed ahead for help," she sent to Jazz on his private frequency.

Seconds later Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus received messages in the same manner. Rodi, Magnus, Marissa, and Lancer were on stand by, watching her progress, so KC knew where they were going to be. They had already been planning to join in on the fun after the warehouse was destroyed and the slavers were supposed to be back - just in case the bad guys didn't decide to run on their own into the Maelstrom's loving embrace.

Moving in a bit early wasn't a problem, but it was a few minutes trip from Central to the outskirts of Iacon, even at Rodimus' top speed.

Once KC knew that help was on the way, she relaxed the tiniest bit. The sensors KC had set up were her eyes and ears at the distance of half a mile. She was a metal-shaper, and that made Cybertron itself trouble for the Slavers. This was her first true solo test, and the only one that had presented so many challenges at once, but Lancer was a thorough teacher. Still, KC was unsure of herself, and nervous about "killing" anything or anyone, even Converts. She scoped out the warehouse in infrared. Further scans of the surveillance equipment revealed fifteen, no sixteen slavers, all armed, and roughly thirty converts with unknown abilities.

Now how could one person contend with Converts as well as the Slavers? Well, if they never saw her they wouldn't know what hit 'em. Those who were functioning were immediately encased in metal bubbles. Fortunately for her, they weren't prepared for her attack. A few of the slavers stupidly fired weapons in their panic, effectively eliminating themselves. Their own bullets and energy pulses ricocheted around - shredding or searing their bodies. There were some who were smarter and attempted to cut their way out of their spherical confines, but KC healed the scars made by the cutting lasers. A few recognized their dilemma and just waited to see what would happen next.

KC knew Lancer would chastize her later for even giving them a chance to think about escaping or retaliating but she couldn't help it. It was bad enough she let those men shoot themselves to death in the bubbles, but at least technically it had been their own fault. She wasn't ready to just kill the rest of her captives.

Only seven minutes passed since the discovery of the Slavers' presence and she was already exhausted. This was the furthest her abilities had been strained and she'd never done so much in an unknown environment. KC feared she'd be discovered by a telepath or empath so she morphed the exo-suit into a material that was extremely reflective so that it would divert most anything directed at it; hopefully even tele-empathic frequencies...at least that was Perceptor's theory...he was having a hard time testing it though.)

Well, Mr. Wizard, she thought, If this doesn't work you'll know your theory isn't valid. I just hope no one asks me to explain how I got such a good finish on this thing! Once again she focused her mind and dove into the sensor nets of the exo-suit, then into the warehouse/prison , guiding them through the metal walls searching out the enemy once again, this time the Converts, hoping they weren't remotely operated. Likewise, she searched for the innocents. All the while she worried that one of the slavers would get away.

The Converts turned out to be the kind that would only follow direct instructions and those that gave the instructions were indisposed. She'd gotten lucky there. Those with programing sophisticated enough for independent, adaptive action were FAR more difficult to deal with. Metallic bubbles oozed up to engulf the converts as well, while KC hoped none had sophisticated defense programming or had been given general instructions to defend their masters. Then again, it was possible they HAD been given defense instruction but didn't recognize her bubbles as a form of assault.

No such luck.

One of the bubbles shattered only moments after it had been formed.

Shit! A telekenetic! KC thought frantically and continued layering metal over the converted TK's shield. The TK pushed against the metal. The new bubble began to grow - pulsing once again and shattering against her will.

Mayhem was now sweating, the heat from her breath causing condensation on the glass dome of her exo-suit and across the control panels. She needed to attack on more than one front with different tactics. She readied lasers and other impulse weapons and commanded them to move with her thoughts. They flowed out of her suit and through the metal of Cybertron's skin like barracuda cut through water. The scientist metal-shaper sent them deep, penetrating the base to target her prey. She quickly rechecked the infrared for targeting. Then fired. All of the weapons impacted but only weakened the TK's shield.

Sweat filled the mutant's eyes, she needed help, an idea, anything. She decided to scan for frequency that the mutant was projecting, thinking that maybe that would be her way in. If she could tune a laser at that frequency she might have a way through the shield. She got a reading but it was a very low frequency almost impossible to duplicate. Worse, it fluctuated erratically. She began programming in the numbers to her lasers and continued firing them. She only had a slim chance because there was no discernible pattern to the oscillation of pitches in the TK's shield. Additionally, she had to send them randomly, keep her target sighted perfectly, and hope the frequencies would match to get through the shield. The shield harmonics were intricately woven and difficult to master. A machine would have been easier to defeat.

Finally though she got lucky....the shield and the laser nullified each other for an instant and she struck....a shaft of sharp metal rose from the floor - slicing the TK lengthwise in two clean halves.

It proved her worst challenge.

Eventually, there were no more opponents for her to contend with. Most of the slavers' crew were dead. The last few trapped in the bubbles were probably suffocating by now. Removing the stasis tubes and creating a new power source to hook to was the first of her new worries. The tubes had been without any energy to run the oxygen re-cyc units, she hoped she wasn't turning out to be the captives' murderer as well.

There was a noise in the background. She turned her audio sensors up, hearing voices. With a start she recognized them as her friends - Jazz in particular - shouting her name. Only then did she realize that she had totally tuned out her real location in her need to concentrate on her distant battleground. The Specialist was kneeling before her and actually shaking her suit - she hadn't even felt it. Grimlock was wondering aloud what was wrong with their friend and Swoop was defensively telling Jazz not to hurt her.

"Even Dinobots know not to shake little KC!" Swoop protested. The young mutant was startled to see Magnus, Rodimus, Lancer, and Marissa were keeping the Dinos under control while Jazz tried to get through to her. Which reminded her.....

"I'm OK Jazz," she said. Amazing how tired she sounded...come to think of it she felt pretty worn out too.

"Little Lady you sure know how to scare a guy!" Jazz cried in obvious concern.

"Grimlock you guys go home. KC needs to rest now," Rodimus was saying.

"Me Grimlock sorry," the big Dino said sorrowfully, "We didn't mean to play so rough..."

"It isn't your fault ya big bozo," Rodimus exclaimed, giving Grimlock a friendly push towards their lair, "She just got over being sick, remember? She just overdid it. Go home now. She'll visit you later, OK? We'll take care of her."

"I'm OK guys, really! Do what Rodimus says so you don't get in trouble," KC said, trying to sound more energetic than she felt. She felt like someone had taken her by both ends and twisted her like a wet towel.

That was apparently good enough for the Dinos - that and a long careful once over by Slag. They shuffled off, and KC noted vaguely how Rodimus seemed to be counting every lumbering step.

He took the moment to scan them for Conversion, as he did every Autobot he encountered automatically.

Only Lancer took the impact of what he found. The look on his face never flickered, but the instant they were out of earshot he whirled on KC.

"Report!" he hissed in a whipcord whisper.

"It's over....I've killed all of them....... except those in stasis."

"You're sure?!" Lancer said, glaring into KC's face.

KC could only nod. She felt herself drifting off.

"Get her home Jazz," Rodimus ordered. "See to it no one sees her like this...they'll want to know why. Damn it! This was pretty public!"

"I'm sure no one noticed anything Rod. She just stood there the whole time. We can claim her exo-suit malfunctioned if we need to. It happens often enough," Jazz said.

"We'll have to work on that though," Lancer mused in a voice that told KC she was at least partially fanged but was trying to contain it. KC couldn't see Lancer's face since she was wearing an exo-suit which made her look like someone else. You couldn't very well have a member of the Maelstrom crew walking around with a pack of Autobots.

It was done with an updated version of Hound's holographing skills bolstered by what little of the Maelstrom's cloaking fields they understood. It was actually a three layered effect...the first layer was a normal hologram. It would do to fool most people. The second layer was yet another hologram with the Maelstrom tech worked in. The idea was that if someone penetrated the first hologram, they would think the "real" person was the second, more detailed face. Under that, Lancer hid. If anyone expended the energy to test the holograms she would sense it and disrupt whatever means they used before the second layer was breached....hopefully.

"We can't use her effectively in combat if she's going to zone out like this every time. She can't afford to be unaware of her surroundings like that."

"Give her a break! It's her first go at it and she pulled it off!" Jazz snapped defensively.

Lancer blinked at him in surprise, "I didn't mean that as a criticism Jazz. She handled much more than we expected and she did just fine. I meant that we'll have to change how she operates so she's never left vulnerable. What if you hadn't been there to guard her?"

Jazz looked a bit embarrassed. "Oh...my bad," he muttered, unsure of why he had been so over-protective. Maybe it was just that KC was now sound asleep inside her suit....in his arms.

Marissa smirked at him knowingly, and Magnus shook his head as if Jazz were a lost cause already. The Specialist might have been offended again except that he had to agree. He was a lost cause.

Rodimus fidgeted, obviously chomping the bit to get into that facility and finish up, so Jazz handed KC to Magnus, transformed, and waited while Magnus and Marissa got KC out of the suit. Then they put her in Jazz's front seat and he drove her home.

Rodimus watched them go for all of half a second and then said, quite loudly, "Let's check out this building Mags. It was unstable enough on its own but I think KC's big buddies may have been too much for it to take."

"That's probably a good idea, Rodimus," Magnus said flatly, wishing all the while acting was one of his better skills...or even part of his skills at all for that matter.

They headed for the warehouse and Lancer scanned for energy readings every inch of the way. On the surface level the building was exactly what it appeared to be...a large, neglected dome-shape storehouse - left over from Cybertron's last Golden Age. The building was huge and cluttered with rubble that had once been part of the roof. Old equipment, tools, and the long-dead corpse of a Decepticon warrior added to the ambiance.

Rodimus grimaced at the sight of the corpse, "We really need to get into the last of the old slums," he muttered to himself. "That soldier needs a more respectful resting site."

"I agree," Magnus said, "but not everyone will understand why you'd bother with a Decepticon's burial."

"They don't have to know about it...and even if they do they can bite me," Rodimus said. "The Cons didn't start this stupid war any more than we did and we are just as guilty for keeping it going. More so, now. He gets his due."

Magnus just sighed and shrugged. Then they found the Slavers' tunnel under the building....they'd hardly bothered to hide it. It was a large hole for human sized equipment and personnel but in a building like this a Transformer wouldn't give it a second glance.

Most Transformers anyway.

Magnus cocked his head at the dark opening, "Looks like an appropriate doorway for our little rats," he said.

"You ready for this?" Rodimus asked him.

"Yes..I can handle it Rodimus," Magnus said.

"I mean do you have your suit yet, Major General," Rodimus asked a bit sharply.

"Oh...yeah...I got it this morning, but I haven't tested it yet."

Rodimus rolled his optics and morphed human. His shrinking body was automatically clothed in the black, armored fabric supplied to him by the Maelstrom. They weren't sure exactly how it worked yet, but the uniforms seemed to mold themselves to their owners - even handling Lancer's transformation. Rodimus had managed to work his suit into his subspace link and called it to him as he did his weapons and his trailer. It had taken some serious tweaking to get it to work as he shifted human - bringing it through at the last moment when he lost both his robotic size and his ability to access subspace.

"Well, test it now," Rodimus said a bit testily even though he knew Magnus hadn't had a spare second to work on it.

"I followed your formula...it should be fine," Magnus said.

"Or you'll end up naked with it wrapped around your head the way Rodimus did the first few times he tried it," Lancer snickered.

"Oh! Did you take pictures?" Marissa asked.

Lancer grinned, "No, but I sure did make sure to memorize!"

"I'll bet you did more than that," Marissa said with a smirk.

Lancer leered.

"We're wasting time!" Rodimus grumbled.

"He's embarrassed!" Marissa exclaimed.

"Am not," Rodimus vowed, "Let's go Mags."

"Err...what if it doesn't work?" Magnus asked, looking dubiously at Marissa and Lancer's gleeful faces.

"Just get on with it! Every second we waste is one more we could be discovered!"

"OK. Fine," Magnus growled.

Much to the girls disappointment it worked perfectly and Magnus joined them as a very smug looking human in a skin tight black body suit.

"Mee-OW!" Marissa said, eyeing her mate from head to toe. He looked good, and the black and white uniform reminded her of just how much she wanted to see him in a tux. Time to get going on those wedding plans.

"Flirt later," Rodimus ordered, stepping into the hole.

"You know, he's disappointed it worked," Lancer mused with a suppressed snicker. "He resents the fact he had to got through all that work to get it right."

"Just scan for bugs and traps," Rodimus said to his mate. She knew why he was furious and it had nothing to do with Magnus' clothes.

"You know I am already Crabby, and it's clean so far," she whispered for Magnus' and Marissa's benefit. "Looks like KC cut off every ounce of power to the place." To him alone she sent, Love...I'm sorry about Snarl, but if you don't want Magnus and Marissa to know you need to stop snapping at everything.

She only got back grief and profound guilt for an answer, but she felt him push his emotions away to get himself under control. Part of her was proud of his discipline...part worried he was so good at forcing such deep emotions away. Too much practice.

Continued in Viper Part C


	3. Chapter 3

Maelstrom Chapter 29  
Viper Part C 

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there...and believe me I am a better artist than writer.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. **This particular chapter is also based on the work of my ex-roomie. KC was her character for the most part.** Critiques adored!  
**

Viper Part C

Continued from Part B!

The tunnel got darker as they went down so Lancer provided light for her companions. They had portable lights on them, but conserved them in case they should be separated. Once inside the slaving station they were grimly surprised to see it was even more advanced than they had predicted. They had guessed it was a fairly busy but minor site. Now they knew they were dealing with a major supplier of slaves and contraband of other varieties. Marissa had discovered the tip of the iceberg with the activities she'd unearthed...probably the slaver she'd gotten a lead on was but one of several suppliers. They set about the grisly task of opening KC's reflective cocoons and identifying what chunks of meat were left inside. Those that had suffocated were easier to ID, and amazingly Lancer found one slaver who was not yet dead. He was unconscious, but from the cross-legged position she found him in he had realized his peril early and done his best to relax and control his breathing. That move had saved his life.

Unfortunately for him.

Lancer signaled for Pagan just as her captive was coming to. The Drazi 'ported in and bared her teeth at Lancer in appreciation at being included. The two of them did this a lot and made efficient use of their terrifying faces.

The slaver opened his eyes to find a glowing, grinning she-demon just inches past his nose and a six foot smirking lizard woman on her other side. Rodimus kept himself and the others out of the slaver's line of sight with a huge, nasty grin of his own.

"Who?! Where am I?!" the man cried. He was still disoriented from the lack of air.

"You died!" Lancer growled in her surreal, demonic voice. "You're in Hell! What did you expect?!"

The slaver's eyes widened and he stammered excuses and apologies in a jumbled rush. Pagan hissed menacingly and flared her fins.

"It's too late for that now Damned One!" Lancer intoned grimly. She took care to illuminate her mouth from the inside. The effect was certainly ghoulish since it made the bones of her face show distinctly through her skin. Marissa wrinkled her nose and snickered a bit when Rodimus winked at his mate and blew flirtatious kisses her way. Lancer responded by scowling at Rodimus - they could see she was fighting laughter. The effort it took only made her voice weirder. "Confess your sins and we MIGHT not start your eternal torment by tearing your legs off!" Pagan took a hold of both of the slaver's ankles.

That was all it took. The man started blathering at random...his confessions disgusting and enraging the listeners. It was all Lancer and Pagan could do not to tear him apart right away as he sputtered on and on about how he'd gotten into slaving - first just for money he desperately needed, and then later for the enjoyment of torturing and raping his victims as he pleased. It was a story Lancer and Pagan had heard many times before. Faced with hard times and lacking marketable skills, many men got into slaving through freighter piloting. They'd start off shipping goods as freelance contractors but when jobs got scarce they found themselves courted by mid-level slave runners. "Just for one job..." It never occurred to them that job-shortages were often manufactured to create just that sort of desperation.

That first job was usually a shipment of mutants who looked deformed or of homeless, dirty people.....anyone the new slave runner would be able to rationalize "didn't matter". The perks of being allowed to use their shipments for sexual release was often mentioned in an oblique fashion - letting the new slaver take that step on his own. Usually, it resulted in a sort of dam burst effect - once the first rape (assuming it was their first rape) was committed with impunity the slaver found himself exploiting as many victims as possible at first....as if expecting this new game to be abruptly taken away. There was almost always a period of rampant gluttony during which the slaver would often grow more and more "experimental" and violent with their power to torture and humiliate their captives. Addicted, the least dangerous slavers never made it past this stage. For others, the thrill quickly wore off and while they never hesitated to use captives at a whim, it was not their primary reason for taking slaves. Money, power, safety from competitors, and safety from hunters like the Maelstrom crew took priority.

Those that looked at slave-running primarily as a business were generally the most dangerous because they were they least emotionally involved and were less likely to expose themselves taking risks for "prizes" which inspired their lusts. Nevertheless, they always remembered that first thrill...that feeling of absolute power they felt when they realized the life in their hands was theirs to use, abuse, and end depending on their mood at the moment. If they had any doubts at all about the nature of their actions it would come out at moments like this - when they were at the mercy of those that objected to the taking of slaves.

Lancer and Pagan (and Rodimus to a lesser extent) had heard such yammering confessions before. Rodimus looked to Magnus and Marissa to make sure they noted how Lancer and Pagan handled the questioning, and was not surprised to note they were observing it all intently. Lancer managed to guide the slaver's outburst away from random apologizing and confessions of one atrocity or another and on to more useful information. By barely feigning interest she got him to give her names, dates, locations, descriptions, suppliers, competitors, and buyers. If the man had been anything less than terrified he might have noticed this line of questioning more resembled a police interrogation than anything an actual demon might have wanted. Marissa was practically frothing over all the names he dropped - especially when some of them confirmed suspicions she had been reaching on her own. She even went so far as to whisper a few questions in Rodi's ear for him to send along to Lancer. The mutant met Marissa's eyes briefly and barely smiled - then went on to ask Marissa's questions. The slaver didn't know everything Marissa wanted to know, but he gave her a foothold.

When they had everything they thought they could get, Lancer could not help but be cruel to this helpful soul. She defanged (although it took effort as angry as she was.)

"Do you have all that on record, Robert?" Lancer asked, looking into Pagan's com-eye.

"Affirmative," his not-so neutral voice came back to them. They could all hear him struggling to remain calm. Of all of them, Robert dealt with this kind of thing directly the least - and therefore it upset him the most. The nausea and anger were apparent in his strangled voice.

The Slaver blinked in confusion at this exchange.

"Surprise!" Lancer cried. "You aren't dead after all! I'm a mutie you see. Lancer of the Maelstrom in case you never heard of me, and you just gave us all kinds of help in ridding the universe of scum like you! Thanks so much! As a reward, we are not going to do to you what you have done to people you've treated so kindly of late, and just in case you were disappointed at not really being in Hell, we're going to kill you now. All I can say is I hope the afterlife is exactly as kind to you as you were to mutant merchandise such as myself... kinder even!"

She allowed the man about 30 seconds to think that over and the instant she saw realization turn into hate and outrage on his features she shorted his heart and brain functions. He died instantly.

Marissa sighed, and shuddered a bit.

"Rissa?" her mate asked in concern.

"I know there's no better way to handle that, but I wish there was," she said.

"We all do, Marissa," Rodimus said softly, "But I can't think of an alternative."

"It's not just the killing that bothers me Rodi. It's too quick. I mean, I don't like the idea of executing anyone, but I also think somehow he should have been forced to make retribution somehow. He made so many suffer for so long....!"

Lancer cocked her head at Marissa and brandished her nails, "I believe in Hell, Marissa. I believe in demons who plunge their heads into your soul and feed on what they find there.... He will meet his justice one way or another.... and so will we." 

X

X

X

They made careful haste over the rest of the structure, but found little more of use aside from a list of scheduled stops for the next shipment which helped verify and clarify what they'd learned from the Slaver's confessions. Placing mechanical teleporters on all of the stasis pods let Robert bring the unconverted people onto the Maelstrom where they would be treated, debriefed, and returned to their homes. About 90 people would be given a second chance that day, and it made all of their rescuers feel a bit better. Rodimus in particular took a moment to look into each face, sending to Lancer that maybe it would help him dream of someone he hadn't killed for a change.

A slight balm for losing Snarl.

The rescuees would still have trauma to deal with, and the knowledge that they must ever be alert to being taken again, but they would have a chance. For many the worst part would be having to keep their experiences secret. Slavers and buyers alike would mark them for death if they tried to go public with their experiences. Some would be likely to try anyway and would be dismissed by most as delusional before some freak "accident" killed them or they vanished again. Most would manage though and it gave Rodimus hope - especially since some of them were so terribly young.

They decided they didn't want any of the corpses found and studied since their wounds were inconsistent with a building's collapse. Fire became their cover story. Lancer carefully reduced every corpse to ashes before they left...taking care to similarly reduce other items as well to insure consistency.

Pagan teleported back to the ship with the list and a brief, scaly hug for Lancer who fought for breath a good while after the Drazi was gone. Once she got her wind back she ignited a slow fuse to the slavers' shuttle and they all ran like hell for the upper warehouse. Magnus activated the charges KC had set and the building started crumbling almost silently....as if the earlier shaking it had taken had finally proven too much. Rodimus and Magnus switched forms again and came out yelling for people to clear the area. They had been seen going in - they had to be seen coming out the same way. As the structure crumbled in on itself, witnesses also started raising alarms and calling for help. Cybertron's emergency crews would come running to the spot as if on cue. In the bedlam Rodi and Magnus slipped away to revert to their human selves.

Now perfectly disguised as humans, Rodimus and Magnus stood by and privately evaluated their peoples' time and performance posing as curious by-standers. Even though they had seen to it themselves that the building was unsalvageable, both were still looking for exemplary performance on the part of their First-Response emergency teams.

They found little to criticize. The first crew was there in less than four minutes - seeing to it first that the area was cleared of potential victims. Rodimus was hard pressed not to laugh as a Paradronian crowd controller shooed their little group of saboteurs "out of harm's way". Lancer smirked - try and make her laugh during an interrogation would he?

It was too late of course. The fuse finally reached the fuel tanks and the first explosion shook the region - causing many on-lookers to shriek in panic and press hands to their ears. The emergency crews cursed "those wretched hidden stores of energon", thinking they had encountered someone's secret fuel stash from some earlier war. Such caches littered Cybertron's older sections, becoming unstable with age, and posing a danger to construction workers who often found them by causing them to explode accidentally. Their owners had hidden and shielded them from detection and while many had been found and raided long ago, enough remained to provide Rodimus' group a handy alibi. The slavers' partners might know that a ship had been hidden there, but again the need for secrecy would keep them from saying so....and if they thought it strange the fires would burn so hot and long as to destroy all the evidence it would only be to count their blessings that the slaving station remained undiscovered.

Rodimus expressed regret about not being able to salvage that unknown Decepticon's corpse.

"A funeral pyre's better than rusting Rodimus," Lancer assured him.

He shrugged, and nodded assent.

Less than an hour later, the fire was out, the rubble was stabilized, and Optimus was confronted by a small squadron of Paradronian citizens demanding they be allowed to "do something" with that dangerous site. He approved with little reluctance although he DID want to do something about Rodi's evil snickering as the young Prime and Magnus walked by Optimus' office. Obviously Optimus' partner was less than repentant about causing THIS particular snag in Optimus' day. They didn't even pause to help him - they just kept right on going. Fiends.

X

X

X

Jazz pulled up to KC's quarters as unobtrusively as he could....meaning he did it like he always did - stereo blaring and wheels skidding fancy designs on the pavement. KC's exhaustion was apparent in that she didn't even stir in his front seat. He didn't worry too much about what the neighbors would think of him carrying her inside. There weren't many neighbors and it certainly wasn't the first time he'd had to carry her home. She had a habit of working herself to sleep in Perceptor's lab until even the Autobot scientist was forced to notice her curled up inside their research. Then he always called for Jazz who would take KC out of Perceptor's cradling arms and exchange amused looks with her mentor. They BOTH found her particularly funny when she crashed.

This time was different. This time Jazz was really worried.

True he always worried to a degree when she fell asleep while she was working. He worried she pushed herself too hard, worried she was missing out on a more normal social life for a young woman barely out of her teens, and worried in a more abstract way that she might somehow get hurt falling asleep amidst Perceptor's arcane projects. Perceptor had a habit of forgetting KC was even there until he needed her.

This time though it wasn't a matter of simple lack of sleep. KC had been under orders to go to bed early the night before...LANCER'S orders. This first mission was something Lancer was monitoring very closely and she was strict with her student. Jazz had been there for some of KC's final training exercises at Lancer's insistence. His presence made KC visibly nervous which Lancer had harshly told the younger mutant was precisely the point. To get those devastating metal shaping powers under control required the ability to concentrate even when her emotions were involved. Having hurt her best friend once already with those powers, confronting KC with Jazz was about the harshest test Lancer could easily devise. Throughout the drills, during which Lancer demanded KC perform specific tasks with her powers that grew ever more complicated even as Lancer insisted they be performed more and more quickly, Lancer also repeatedly reminded her student that she was exercising.

These drills were as crucial as an athlete preparing for competition....and like an athlete KC could expect to seriously injure herself if she wasn't in condition. KC had argued at first that using her powers was a mental exercise that merely required thought - how could she hurt herself by simply thinking? She shut up the instant Lancer reminded her of the weeks she had just spent in enforced isolation - delirious, raving, and out of control. Any sight of anything metal resulted in a hysterical fit and the metal in question being twisted into a unrecognizable mass.....even if the piece in question had been a mere spoon.

She had been completely convinced she had killed Jazz the day her powers first developed and refused to believe otherwise....even when he came to talk to her.

Training her had only begun after this delusional state had passed... and it didn't pass quickly. Lancer reminded KC over and over that while this kind of mental imbalance most often accompanied a mutant's first development of their abilities, it was possible to have a relapse at any time. Using mutant abilities took effort and energy. Overexertion, emotional distress, exhaustion, illness or any other physical or psychological stressers could easily cause another breakdown. Usually these things passed when the chemical imbalances in the brain stabilized and the body toxins caused by exercising mutant talents cleared out, but it was not unheard of for mutants to be permanently damaged by over-taxing themselves. They gave themselves anything from strokes and heart-attacks to toxic shock. Some were even allergic to the very chemicals using their powers produced.

Medical tests after KC's initial illness showed her metabolism had stabilized and she was at low risk for any of these dangers, but Jazz had done a lot of research on the subject during her quarantine...just enough research to be a well informed nervous wreck.

He carried her into her quarters and once again blessed the EDC mandate that all of their personnel on Cybertron have Autobot-accessible apartments. He was able to take her straight to the corner of the basically open flat which served as her bedroom. She didn't even open her eyes when he put her carefully into bed. He pulled up the covers and sat down on the floor. He had plenty to do of course, but there was no way he was leaving.

X

X

X

Two days later, Vector Sigma received authorization to bring the next group of Transformers into being.....and an additional set of very confusing instructions.

The group of femmes it produced was a defiant challenge to the Autobot High Council. While the super computer followed its orders about random personality traits the body shells reflected its uncertainty about those orders. It had access to Terran data-bases. Rodimus wanted it to understand more about the universe the new Cybertronians would inhabit and Vector Sigma found one legend in particular which seemed to sum up its misgivings. It now felt (correctly) that its survival depended entirely on the survival of its Autobot guardians, but it also had reason to worry about their victory.

Rodimus was making himself very clear...the minute the Autobots didn't need it anymore the young Prime planned to kill Vector Sigma...personally.

A surge in the female population increased the likelihood that day would come, although Vector Sigma kept its fears to itself. It had its own reasons for keeping the female population low.

Infusing the new female lives with random characteristics, including Decepticon characteristics seemed nothing short of suicidal to Vector Sigma. It feared one of these new, unpredictable lives would surely turn on the Autobots, perhaps destroying them. While Vector Sigma surely wouldn't have minded to see the entire council painfully dead, it knew its own demise would shortly follow.

Then it realized...any contingency it ran ended in its death.

All of its plotting to regain domination had distracted it from the obvious. If the Jabez won, it was dead. If the Autobots won, sooner or later, they would discover its final secrets. And it was dead.

........

Well...at least it no longer had to rein in its hatred.

Serpents being the Terran symbol for treachery, Vector Sigma stated its resolve in the only way it could. It ignored the orders for 'random" in one case...and worked a vicious contingency plan into its special project of the day.

If its death was inevitable, revenge was preferable.

It reached out with its mind, found the perfect agent, and went to work.

X

X

X

Rodimus looked over the new arrivals and grinned in a way that made Optimus want to shake him.

Sometimes Rodi's immature public persona just got into Optimus' wiring, even though the Senior Prime knew most of it was a facade.

The council had been assembled, as had Kup, Chromia, some visiting diplomats from Earth, and a few high ranking officers from EDC. Naturally the Terran news organizations (and the newly congealed Paradronian news gatherers) invited themselves the instant they got wind of the "New Breed of Cybertronians" Their presence made Optimus nervous - he didn't want them bothering the newborns - but Rodimus was gleeful. He intended for this event to make headlines.

"I think someone's trying to tell us something," Rodimus observed sagely in a whisper only Optimus could here.

"Snakes...they're all snakes..." Optimus muttered in befuddlement. "Not that there's anything wrong with snakes, but WHY?"

Rodimus grinned but decided his partner was probably best left in the dark.

The list of names read like herpetologist's wish list. Asp, Adder, Viper, Anaconda, Python, and Boa. All of them had a unique style of armored plating that cover their mid-rifts and joints like reptilian belly scales with thin strips of metal that flowed smoothly over each other.

Asp and Viper were the most obviously serpentine - with long, slender limbs and necks. Their movements were swift and graceful, and both were as likely to twist their heads or bodies all the way around as they were to simply move their feet to face you. Most Transformers were capable of full-bodied rotation but it required the effort of unlocking some mechanisms and then re-locking them later. It usually wasn't worth it. For these girls that didn't seem to be an issue. Viper sneered disdainfully when some of the reporters were a bit dismayed when she turned her head 360 degrees and bent backwards at the waist to inspect them. Asp had a rather sweet, open face though despite her name and the cobra-like patterns on her torso and back. Aside from that single black design she was a study in warm browns and beige. Viper, by contrast was coolly aloof - her smooth visor revealed nothing of her thoughts other than a chilly arrogance. She was painted in dark, mottled khakis.

Adder was all angles and sharp razor-like lines. Her head, her armor, and the diamond-like patterns of her paint-job implied shards of glass. Her colors were cool white and light grey with darker grey accents. Her optics darted nervously and focused on every movement instantly. Then she would stare unblinkingly at the source of motion until she seemed to decide it presented no threat or another motion caught her attention. Her stare was particularly unnerving if it happened to be focused on you . People found themselves apologizing to her for having the audacity to walk by. She said nothing.

Python and Boa were larger than their sisters by over ten feet. They were also bulkier and more obviously built for strength. Their movements remained sinuous though...and at the back of Rodimus' mind Lancer was applauding the whole group - here at least was one bunch of Transformers to whom grace was natural. Boa and Python also stood out in that their body armor was painted almost exactly like the snakes they were named for - in rich browns and blacks in camouflaged patterns from head to toe. They seemed cheerfully amused by all the fuss and were quickly engaged in conversation with those at hand. Boa in particular disarmed the reporters by following their every question with one of her own - sometimes rather personal questions at that. They couldn't help but answer her though...she was obviously sincerely curious and they responded to her as they might an inquisitive child - for all that she was over 50 feet of heavily armored warrior robot.

Anaconda was painted a subdued, solid olive green...which Elita remarked was good because there was just too much body there for a loud pattern too. The shy new femme stood a good twenty feet taller than Ultra Magnus....a fact she seemed painfully aware of. She was terrifyingly strong too - terrifying to herself that was. She was not clunky or graceless by any means, but she seemed that way because she grew self-conscious the minute she felt someone's eyes on her. She became so nervous she tended to stumble or simply crush whatever she was holding. Python seemed to sense this and intervened with the reporters so that most of the questions were aimed at her....and she would answer even the ones that weren't. Chromia and Elita exchanged glances over this - it was almost funny to see poor enormous Ana trying to hide behind her smaller sister.

The entire group turned out to be an odd sort of triple changer. Every one of them had a snake-like mode where the majority of their forms became entirely serpentine but their upper torsos remained unchanged. Anaconda, Adder, and Viper were capable of modifying this intermediate form into a full snake mode. Asp and Viper had jet transforms while Adder's vehicle mode hailed back to the old pyramid aerial modes of Cybertron's past. She was sleeker and more bullet-shaped than the old Cons had been but the similarity was enough to give all the Autobot veterans a case of the surges.... especially when she took flight. That shape had meant death to many of their friends in the past. Boa and Python turned out to be a matched pair of small, sturdy trucks and Anaconda transformed into of all things, a large sleek submarine. Naturally she was unable to make use of that form on Cybertron and listed to the side almost at once - nearly crushing some of the humans and a building.

She transformed immediately and stood there with a blank expression on her face. With a flash of insight Elita realized the poor girl was in a complete panic. She took Ana aside and quietly explained that there was nothing at all wrong with her alternate mode and that she would be able to use it in the seas of Earth. The look of desperate relief this news brought on was too pathetic to be funny. Anaconda obviously had thought she was defective when she couldn't move or even support herself in alternate mode. She very shyly requested if she might be allowed to visit Earth some day. Elita smiled and assured Anaconda that the very minute her basic training was finished on Cybertron she would be permanently stationed on Earth if that's what she wanted.

"And I thought the first batch was trouble," Magnus muttered under his breath to Optimus, sizing up Anaconda. "That personality just doesn't work in that body."

"Viper and Adder worry me more," Optimus whispered. Adder's behavior was unchanged. In the hours since she'd been activated she'd not spoken a word other than her name and continued to stare at every movement. Boa's attempts to talk to her didn't make any difference although Boa didn't seem the least perturbed by Adder's failure to speak. Boa happily continued talking to her sister, politely pausing for Adder to respond now and then, but continuing right along when Adder merely glared. Optimus did note however, that while Boa was talking, Adder fixated only on her instead of locking eyes with one target after another. She even followed Boa a short way when Boa ambled over to talk to Rodimus but held back and stared at their conversation... or rather she stared at their hands while they talked.

Optimus was annoyed to note Rodimus didn't seem perturbed in the least at the way Adder's head snapped to follow every gesture. In fact, as the conversation continued the elder Prime suspected not all of Rodi's gestures were entirely due to the conversation. The young Prime was deliberately drawing Adder's gaze this way and that. The elder Prime sighed inwardly - disturbing as everyone else found Adder's behavior, Rodimus was apparently amused by it.

Viper on the other hand seemed intent on insulting as many people as possible in the least amount of time. She even scorned her siblings - denouncing them as sub-standard in every regard from their markings to their basic construction. Asp was obviously a "dullard", Boa and Python were "clowns", Adder was "a mental case", and Anaconda was pronounced a "hulking moron". The humans were labeled "debris under foot," and the Command staff was obviously "completely incompetent for even allowing the debris to accumulate."

Optimus was forced to take Magnus by the arm and whisper desperately for him to restrain himself in front of the diplomats.

Continued in Part D


	4. Chapter 4

Maelstrom Chapter 29  
Viper Part D 

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there...and believe me I am a better artist than writer.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

Viper - Part D

Continued from Part C!

The reporters, appalled as they were, hung on Viper's every word and filmed her more than any of the others. She preened under the attention even as she insulted them. Her behavior led to some perfectly natural questions from one of EDC's ranking generals about how this new generation was being programed. From the tone in his voice and his nervous looks at both Viper and Adder there was the implication he felt something had obviously gone very wrong.

Rodimus pounced on that question even before the swarms of reporters did. "Why General!" he crowed, "We took a lesson from you humans. Their personalities are being programed randomly. We will no longer determine what our new ones will be like before they are activated. It will be left to entirely chance." He suddenly had everyone's complete attention. Even the reporters stared at him as if he'd gone totally insane. The EDC personnel could all be seen carefully sizing up Viper's weapons arrays and blanching.

One of the reporters finally came out with "Why....?"

Rodimus grinned hugely. "Excellent question! I'll let my partner explain. Chromia and I need to take our newborns to their quarters. It's been a busy first day for them. Come along ladies!" As he walked away he made sure to twiddle his fingers goodbye at Optimus over his shoulder.

The elder Prime would have liked to throttle the ingrate but couldn't move because of all the reporters swarming around his ankles. He had to settle for glaring murderously at Rodimus who kept looking back to smirk until the door closed behind them.

X

X

X

Several hours later Optimus and Magnus flopped into the chairs in Prime's office. Optimus smiled grimly. It took severe energon AND emotional drain to get Magnus to flop into anything. They both felt wrung. Never in Optimus' career as a warrior-diplomat had he had so much trouble explaining himself and calming the fears of those questioning him. He couldn't decide what was worse - the reporters' tendency to sensationalize and their civilian tendency to panic, or the military personnel's only too accurate and insightful concerns which then panicked the reporters further.... Several times during the barrage Optimus had found himself stumbling for answers and wondering to himself exactly why HAD he agreed to let Vector Sigma program the next generation with Decepticon characteristics. At those moments it was actually very hard not to blurt out "It was all Rodimus' idea! It's not my fault!"

For the first ten minutes they both sat there muttering curses at Rodimus without even listening to each other. After that they actually began listening and embellishing on what the other was saying, having a very good time getting murderously creative with the things they would like to do to Rodi's smirking face and his oh-so bendable twiddling fingers. Some of their ideas would have made Galvatron blanch.

After a solid half hour of such quality time, they actually turned their minds to the problems they were so pleased with Rodi for creating. Optimus had no confidence in the way he'd handled the humans at all and Magnus was no help in restoring that confidence.

"I think it was perfectly obvious you were making it all up as you went," the City Commander stated.

"Thanks Magnus," Optimus said, holding his head in his hands.

"I was only agreeing with you..." Magnus reminded Optimus testily.

"I was rather hoping you wouldn't do that," Optimus said.

"Ah, but that would be lying," Magnus stated loftily.

"Thanks Magnus," Optimus said, "Will that be all or would you like to shoot me too?"

"Now you're being petulant. Quit sulking and let's get together some answers that DON'T sound idiotic for when they come back at us tomorrow!"

"You think they'll wait till tomorrow? I should be so lucky! .... You know Magnus, it's days like this I almost miss Megatron."

Magnus nodded in assent and they got started. Very soon they were completely engrossed in trying to refine Optimus' earlier uncertain answers and anticipating as many new questions as they could think of. After two solid hours of that the whole idea of having Vector Sigma program the young ones randomly was starting to sound like solid policy again, although part of Optimus retained its very uncomfortable reservations.

Neither of them heard the lock disengage because it didn't. The door didn't open - it melted, or rather the form passing through its molecules simply compressed the atoms for a moment to allow it room to pass at the bottom of the door. Then, they neatly rearranged themselves and the figure slid into the room...the tip of its tail didn't clear in time but the intruder was unhindered. Silently...even more silently than its quiet form of motion should have allowed for, the serpent coiled into the room....it rose up behind Magnus' head and prepared to strike.

Magnus never could put a finger on what alerted him... Lancer had been trying to explain to him that the meditation exercises she'd been teaching him were not just therapy for his possession...they would extend his awareness beyond what he was normally conscious of. Magnus didn't contradict her...but he didn't necessarily believe her either. The way he saw it if millions of years of hard combat hadn't taught him to use his sensors then a few vague mental exercises weren't going to help. Nevertheless he moved...whirling into the strike aimed at the back of his neck...blunting its force and deflecting most of it to the heavier armor on his shoulders. Not too mention giving his assailant a solid blow as he shoved his weight back towards her. The damage to his armor was minimal...a good thing since he could feel some kind of fluid running out of the scratches....poison?

His shove deliberately toppled his chair and he rolled backwards and up into a defensive posture. The serpent he was facing....Viper?!...reared up with hood spread and spit venom at his face. He dodged the spray and dove for her but she moved almost faster than his optics could follow...and not for him... She was going after Optimus who was still in the process of reaching for his gun. As she struck, she transformed into her intermediate form...bowling Optimus right out of his chair and holding a small pair of fang-like daggers to his throat.

Magnus didn't have time to think...he launched himself to the top of Prime's desk and swung at Viper with a sweeping kick that took her from the side and knocked her half-way across the room.

The City Commander was about to throw his whole body at the snake when an incongruous noise froze him in his tracks.

Laughter....laughter and applause...from behind him.

Everyone in the room turned to stare at Rodimus as he grinned and clapped. He went right past his stunned partner and his even more stunned City Commander to help Viper to her feet. She took his hand and rose gracefully...standing beside him with a pleased smile.

"Well done Magnus!" Rodimus crowed. "Lancer says she's pleased with the way you've taken to her training."

Magnus, still perched on Optimus' creaking desk amongst the scattered remnants of the whole day's work came up with "What?"

"Your training! It seems to be working."

"What?" Magnus repeated.

Optimus finally came out of his shock enough to help, "WHAT IN CYBERTRON'S NAME IS GOING ON AROUND HERE!? VIPER JUST TRIED TO KILL ME!"

"Well of course she did! I asked her too!" Rodimus said with a smile. "Magnus, don't you think you'd better get off there before Optimus's desk gets totaled?"

Magnus got down very slowly...he was having a dispute within his motor functions...a good portion of them wanted to assault something... preferably something with flames on it.

"YOU WHAT?!" Optimus roared.

"I asked her too. I wanted to test her abilities and our security, and Lancer wanted to see Magnus in action when he wasn't expecting anything."

"YOU ENCOURAGED A ONE DAY OLD, RANDOMLY PROGRAMMED SNAKE TO TRY TO ASSASSINATE US FOR A TEST?!" Optimus shouted. Magnus, by contrast, was ominously quiet.

Rodimus, (coincidentally out of arm's reach) grinned. "No...I encouraged KC to try to assassinate you for a test. Show them KC."

Optimus and Magnus both gawked as the olive cobra-bot opened like a flower and revealed Perceptor's young mutant aide resting comfortably inside.

It was Magnus' turn to erupt.

"KC! Have you gone mad?! I could have killed you! Of all the moronic things to do! I thought you had more sense than that! And...and...AND YOU PUT HER UP TO IT YOU INGRATE! HOW DARE YOU RISK HER LIKE THAT?! I COULD HAVE SQUASHED HER!"

KC smiled and walked her gaping suit over to the desk. It was a disconcerting sight - with the suit's torso pealed away from her cockpit "Viper's" head and chest were contorted back out of the way. She looked like a horrible casualty... and yet the legs worked smoothly and one of the displaced arms reached forward to put a hand on Optimus' desk. The crumpled legs and dented work-surface smoothly repaired themselves. The bizarre apparition she made walking around this way was enough to choke off Magnus' tirade.

"Don't worry. You didn't hurt me at all, Sir," she said politely. "I didn't even feel the impact...the suit absorbed it all. Since my powers are fully functional now it may be harder to hurt me than you think."

"You hope!" Magnus growled, shaken. Honestly, he'd forgotten to take her powers into account. He wasn't used to thinking of her as being able to stand up to him. Lancer was one thing...she had made her abilities and her aggressive attitude quite clear the day he'd met her. Marissa was another...he had long grown used to her self-assurance and competence. KC on the other hand was just another small life he had to avoid stepping on in his mind...and even when he'd gone human she'd still seemed quite small and quite shy. He was used to thinking of her as brilliant but fragile, although intellectually he knew her new powers could easily be devastating.

"Why Rodimus? Why are you having her attack us? Why are you having her pose as one of our new ones?"

"She's not posing Optimus. KC IS Viper. 'Viper' isn't alive. The suit does have a set of directives which imitate a personality program but it has no life-force. I instructed Vector Sigma to design a body shell and personality without taking that final step. The others are alive, and they think she's one of them but really Viper is just a very sophisticated exo-suit for KC."

"And the reasoning for this ever-so elaborate prank of yours is...?" Magnus prompted...his tone implying "and it'd better be good."

"Babysitting. KC is our new Decepticon watchdog," Rodimus said, crossing his arms and waiting patiently for them to quit shouting at him before continuing. "Guys...the alternative is more like Astrotrain..."

That remark got immediate silence and Optimus and Magnus shared a long grim look. Rodi's earlier transgressions were forgotten (for the moment) and they gave him their attention...although they both kept looking a bit fearfully at KC now and then while Rodi went on.

"The Decepticons need a guardian...they need someone to check them for Conversion and keep tabs on what they're doing. We need to set up a way to monitor them so we can protect them if we can. KC is our best choice."

"I disagree Rodimus!" Magnus argued. "We've got the rest of our new... err..Cybertronians to choose from or we could have Vector Sigma make us a spy if we asked it!"

"Our new additions are still wild cards Magnus. We don't know them that well to trust them with something this sensitive...and I refuse to let Fucking Shit dictate a single more living program. Besides, KC's abilities are not something the Shit can replicate. Tell them your idea KC."

"Well," KC said softly, obviously still a bit uncomfortable explaining herself, "I think I can rewire ALL the Decepticons' computers and long-range sensor systems to be under our control without them ever suspecting. It will be easy to feed them whatever data we like that way so we can set up the targets they raid, when they raid them, whatever. We can keep track of their movements. That way if one of them gets snatched we'll know it...and if we get REALLY good at manipulating them we can steer them out of trouble in advance."

Rodimus smiled a bit grimly, "Oh we will...never fear that. I also have plans to send them gallivanting into a few locations I'd like to see flattened. I never dreamed I'd say this, but if a few of those little humans go up under Galvy's fusion cannon I won't cry over it."

"So we're basically going to subvert all the Decepticons' sensors and computers so we can enslave them the way Vector Sigma enslaved us," Optimus said quietly. "And we're sending in a human girl to do it."

"In a nutshell, yes," Rodimus said. "The difference being, assuming there is one, that we are doing it to protect the Decepticons as well as ourselves. Their lives ARE going to be a part of our considerations. Try to think of it as a prison for them even they won't be aware of. We will contain them and render them pretty harmless while they will be free to happily plot universal domination and think they have hope of succeeding."

"I don't like it," Optimus said. "And I don't like sending KC in there alone! How will she survive?"

"The suit is designed to accommodate my body Sir. And it has a teleport node to send me food and supplies. I won't be in it all the time either...'Viper' is sophisticated enough to interact with the others on its own. I'll be able to sleep and take short vacations when I need to. I can repair the suit internally so I don't need to fear discovery in their repair facilities. Once Char is wired I can come home and only return if there's something I need to do in person. Really, my biggest concern is if Perceptor will be able to find his tools without me!"

"If that's really true then you aren't thinking," Magnus rumbled, "This is going to be exhausting dangerous work and we won't be close enough to save you if you're discovered."

KC sobered a bit, "I know Sir," she said. "But unless you can think of a better person, then I've got to go. We can't let the Jabez just pick up Transformers whenever they like and use them the way they did Astrotrain! All that information he transmitted from right under our noses! All the women he seduced! We may never find out the extent of the damage he did and the others are just sitting there like big, tempting targets!"

Magnus grumbled a bit and sighed in disgust, "I never thought I'd see the day we'd be sending a HUMAN to protect the Decepticons!"

"Does make for an interesting irony doesn't it?" Rodimus said.

"I still don't like thinking of her there without backup," Optimus said.

"She'll be equipped with a teleport panic button Optimus," Rodimus assured his partner.

"Oh! A teleporter! One of those same teleporters which sent you and Lancer careening off into space? I feel much better about the whole thing now Rodi!" Optimus snapped.

Rodimus blanched a little. He and Optimus were used to challenging each other's plans, but it rarely got personal. Well...they used to rarely get personal. Today, Optimus really seemed angry with him...probably for being stuck with the reporters, even though handling public relations was usually Optimus' job. He had a gift for it Rodimus didn't have the patience to share. They hadn't discussed it, because usually they just automatically knew their roles.

"Well, hopefully she won't have to use it." Rodimus said. "She certainly just demonstrated she's capable of taking care of herself and she didn't even cheat by melting your feet to the floor Optimus! REALLY slow reaction time by the way...Lancer is appalled. KC had you on your back and if she'd been serious about killing you it would have been close! You didn't even get your weapon drawn. Magnus had to 'save' your butt and she got him too. If that had been the real toxin we plan to arm her with, Magnus' motor functions would be frozen right now. None of the real Cons would have given you guys that much trouble."

"That's true enough," Optimus muttered, "The only Transformer I truly fear is you!"

"Me?!" Rodimus said.

"Yes you! You and your schemes and your dementia! How could you just dump those reporters on me like that? I very nearly cost us everything floundering for answers! I think the EDC must be ready to terminate our alliance!"

Rodimus felt a bit of guilt, a bit of consternation. It must have been bad...why hadn't Optimus prepared ahead of time? Usually the Senior Prime went for overkill...and they'd been gearing up for this day for weeks. Had he thought Rodimus would handle the PR this time? If so, why hadn't they discussed it in advance?

He almost tore into Optimus for his lack of preparation, or at least communication, but decided he didn't want to fight. Not today. Not when he had that other business to attend to.

Time to play the Hot Rod card.

"Nah! Don't be silly. They bought everything you told them...even if you did stutter. It made the presentation more real and believable. I think our act is getting too polished and that might cause some suspicion. Besides, the challenge is good for you!"

It was a good thing Rodimus was so fast. Both his partner and his City Commander saw fit to shoot at him at that moment.

X

X

X

Hours later, after letting the two of them chew him out for not backing them up or considering their stress-levels, Rodimus entered the Dinobots' Lair via Swoop's entrance.

They were all recharging, except for one.

He reflected, as he skirted through their home, invisible and silent, that the Dinobots were seldom seen in their humanoid forms these days, except when recharging. Maybe that was why so many had a hard time thinking of them as more than animals.

Well, he knew they weren't animals, and he paused, considering again leaving well enough alone.

They would grieve.

Was it really necessary to hurt them this way?

Could he stand to leave it?

He came upon Snarl's room. Den really.

Snarl was not recharging. Snarl was just standing there, still as a stone, in root-mode.

Snarl was dead. Converted.

Rodimus noted to himself sadly that obviously it wasn't all that sophisticated a Conversion chip, but no one had really noticed Snarl wasn't himself. Always touchy and often isolated, becoming a Convert hadn't done much to change his behavior.

Rodi wavered. For Snarl it was too late, but could he leave the Convert in place like he did Marissa's CO? The other Dinos might never know their brother was dead.

The assassin frowned. If he let the Convert continue, he likely wouldn't find Snarl's killers. They might take others. They might dare hurt another one of his people....

He got around behind the motionless Convert and shoved a toxin laced needle into the shoulder joint...into the major fuel line that pulsed there. The Convert wasn't even sophisticated enough to respond to pain, and within seconds the Dino was completely dead on his feet.

Rodimus tipped the corpse over his shoulders and lifted the much larger Dinobot with relative ease, courtesy of being a Prime. He took Snarl's private door out into the endless night of Cybertron and down into the tunnels. There he tore open Snarl's head like an obscene birthday present and hunted through the circuits until he found the Conversion chip.

He stared at it...his evil prize. It would lead him back to Snarl's killers.

Snarl's other killers.

Rodimus grimaced. Killing Snarl tonight he had no choice in, but he was Prime. He shared guilt in Snarls death by failing to protect him in the first place.

The next day he knew, Rodimus would have to stand next to his partner in front of reporters again, asking for help this time. He would have to make sure to look worried, not grief stricken.

The search for Snarl would never really end. No one would have the heart to call it off, but Rodimus knew he would see Snarl again soon.

Rodimus threw the body into the smelters and stood there while Snarl's form melted into the glowing orange ocean of molten metal and slag.

Vector Sigma would use it for the next generation of Cybertronians.

Author's notes:

This is basically the end of my older work. There are parts of the story missing between this scene and those that follow that need to be addressed. I haven't had time or inspiration enough for them and they are a significant chunk of time as far as my poor, abused characters are concerned. A few years in fact.

Let's start with KC, since her events are where we are leaving off. KC (as Viper) will cause trouble publically for a few weeks, insulting people in general but humans in particular. The media will follow her around like a swarm of gnats and broadcast everything she does. She keeps people on 3 worlds riveted to their screens - Earth, Cybertron, and Char....

Poor Chromia and Kup do their level best to keep her out of trouble, but of course she is under orders to give them grief. She is also pressured by her more affable "sisters" to be more civilized, but she is cold to them as well. Rodimus does ask KC to find out what Adder's problem is, but she succeeds in nothing more than becoming the source of Adder's fixation every time she comes into Adder's area.

Her "desertion" is a carefully staged event in which she has a public quarrel with Rodimus over the presence of so many humans on Cybertron. She goes so far as to attack (and injure) some EDC officers passing by. Rodimus is hurt in the scuffle to "save" them. Rodimus orders her locked up, and the chase is on. She leads Autobot security (including Rodimus) on a merry chase around Central, which ends with her "poisoning" Rodimus. He lets her hurt him pretty seriously so that it looks like a genuine attempt on his life. She flees Cybertron for Char...and Adder follows her.

The Decepticons are suspicious of course, and both femmes are in for a rough probation, but they are allowed to land. Adder couldn't care less about her probation - she never speaks, never really responds to anything. The Cons learn not to mess with her though - she attacks anything that moves too quickly with a deadly corrosive acid venom. "Viper" has to earn a place for both of them basically. Within the suit, KC uses her metal shaping abilities to rewire Char right out from under the Cons.

She gets there just in time too. During her supposedly short stay, Long Haul comes home acting just fine and dandy... Not a thing about his behavior gives him away but the other Constructicons want nothing to do with him. He's a Convert, and they don't know it, but they know he isn't what he seems. They turn violent towards him out of revulsion and have to be physically stopped by Cyc and the Sweeps from killing him. Galvatron (being the rational sort) decides all will be just fine if they will merge. So he orders them to - at cannon point. They refuse and argue even in the face of Galvie's threats, but when it comes down to it he really means to kill them. KC is frantically calling for help of course - she knows a Convert when she sees one - but her backup is days away.

When the Constructicons merge to become Devastator the Conversion program spreads from one to the next in seconds - effectively killing the whole team. Devastator's Convert is programed to head back to the Jabez that Converted Long Haul and he attempts to leave. KC is able to get a hand on him during the ensuing fight with the Cons who are trying to restrain him. She is able to cause an overload in his power core that causes a chain reaction of explosions throughout his body...hiding Conversion from the Cons and preventing a Jabez from gaining control of Devastator.

Rodimus is not amused....and KC gets pretty much permanently assigned to Char until they can come up with a better way to protect the Cons. Obviously, if she hadn't been on scene it would have been much worse. Neither Jazz nor Perceptor are thrilled with this, but haven't got any better ideas.

She is stationed there pretty much full time, with just a few days off a month where the suit acts on its own.

Moving on, at the time of this last story Marissa is pregnant. She won't be for long. Magnus is not a Jabez-morphed Autobot. Marissa will have a series of miscarriages over the course of the next few years. They end up resorting to fertility drugs to help her. It's hard for Lancer too, but that's because her body is a very harsh place. Survival of the fittest basically - any baby conceived there has to be able to take the heat. She does get pregnant and goes to term before Marissa does though.

Lancer and Rodi's second child is also a girl. They name her Alexandra. Both girls are raised primarily on the Maelstrom. L and Rodi are both up to their necks in Slaver missions and are lucky to see each other in person every other month. Rodimus sees his youngest child 6 times in her first year - including the day she's born.

Edana scans as a class 1 empath with class one latent pyro-kinesis. Alex they can't get a scan on at all. She's a strawberry blonde with green eyes, and she's never ever uncomfortable. Never sweats, never shivers, cries when hungry or lonely, but never from pain or discomfort.

The addition of Arcee and Springer to the council eventually drifts into full membership and it does take a huge burden off of both Primes to have them helping. This is partly why Rodimus sees his kids so seldom - because he's after Slaver's full time. In spite of the lightened work load, Rodimus and Optimus never really quite get back the level of understanding they had before the fight in "Fracture". Optimus is more and more running a reviving planet - with all the successes and annoyances that implies. Rodimus is more and more in the underbelly of all that and their paths rarely cross. When they are in the same room together, it is always tense.

On the political side Op and Rodimus are pushing Spike to use his influence as Earth's ambassador to help tighten Earth's screening of ships going off world. Their public excuse is the illicit drugs and black market goods that are finding their way to Cybertron.

This irritates some major bad guys. And then things get ugly...and my stories get um...long. 


End file.
